OMISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Ann Coulter says Max Cleland NOT A HERO

[RegenerationMan]

http://www.thenation.com/outrage/index.mhtml?bid=6&pid=1274

-snip-

Never one to let the facts get in the way of a good story, Ann Coulter is standing by her bizarre assault on Max Cleland, the former Democratic Senator. Coulter still insists he's not a Vietnam war hero.

Coulter also cleverly seizes upon remarks by Cleland and others expressing frustration at the random meaningless of his wounds: In essence he hopped out of a helicopter straight into an exploding grenade dropped accidentally by another American. Cleland has the humility and subtlety to say there was nothing heroic in that, it was just fate, bad luck; Coulter slyly twists such remarks into a blanket statement that Cleland is no hero, he's just a shmuck who blew himself up.

But wait. Once again, here is the US Army's own description of how, four days before he lost his limbs, Captain Max Cleland "distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous action on 4 April 1968 ... during an enemy attack near Khe Sanh, Republic of Vietnam.

"When the battalion command post came under a heavy enemy rocket and mortar attack, Capt. Cleland, disregarding his own safety, exposed himself to the rocket barrage as he left his covered position to administer first aid to his wounded comrades. He then assisted in moving the injured personnel to covered positions. Continuing to expose himself, Capt. Cleland organized his men into a work party to repair the battalion communications equipment, which had been damaged by enemy fire." So in building her extremely worthy and important case that Cleland's no hero, how does Coulter finesse this? By omitting it.

-snip-

When will Kerry ask Bush to reject Coulter's statements on Cleland?

IMAGINE PRESIDENT KERRY!

[Scairp]

1. This is old news

We've been talking about this for a week already.

[MidwestTransplant]

2. Old news yes

but doesn't mean people should not be reminded of it. Contacting townhall.com, Fox News and other outlets for her stupidity is something we can all do.

[RegenerationMan]

3. What's new is her new article with her new defense of her earlier article

Sorry, the paragraphs that are new are these:

-snip-

Coulter says she is responding to "insinuations that I 'lied' about Senator Max Cleland." Insinuations? For my part I'm not insinuating anything: Ann Coulter lied.

"It is simply a fact that Max Cleland was not injured by enemy fire in Vietnam," Coulter writes -- a brilliantly trenchant and valuable observation, and undeniably true. She goes on to lie, "He was not in combat," and also to lie, "he was not in the battle of Khe Sanh, as many others have implied."

"He picked up an American grenade on a routine non-combat mission," she lies, "and the grenade exploded." Well, the officer who sent him on that mission calls it a combat mission at Khe Sanh; but Coulter long ago learned to cherry-pick what suits her off of Lexis-Nexis, so she knows it was a routine day of beer-drinking.

-snip-

She's saying people are insinuating she lied and the author is showing that she lied by committing the sin of omission.

[djeseru]

4. Especially since...

...Coulter the Manwich, on as a guest on Bill Maher's show last summer, way over-hyped the "heroics" of The Resident when he made his so-called carrier landing.
*Edit - for a little clarity...

[physaf]

9. It's a mistake to believe that a combat casualty

must occur in combat. A huge number have died from disease and "friendly fire", and it that is not a dishonorable fate for any soldier.

[imax2268]

5. I sent townhall

a nice scathing letter...

I think if we all write them and give our outrage at her hate filled rants they might just get rid of her...


hmmmmmm...wishfull thinking...!

[imax2268]

6. and...

I think it's time for some serious photoshopping of AnnTheMan Coulter...

I'm sure someone out there has some good ideas...

[slackdude]

7. It's time to google bomb Coulter!

I just posted a call to google bomb Ann Coulter on my blog at: http://jasonbuckley.com/blog/2004_02_22_archive.html#107748554986393884

Please add these google bombs to your sigs and your blogs and don't forget to pass the word along to anyone you know. Thanks. (edited for clarity)

[tobius]

8. Great picture!